OH MY GOD! Everyone LOOK! A pitcher got injured playing baseball so let’s all over react and say that a baseball player shouldn’t perform duties that the other ~70% of players have to perform.

Here we go again. People complaining about not having a DH in the National League. All because an athlete got injured performing a task he is weak at. Yup, Adam Wainwright was injured Saturday night when he tore his achilles as he left the batter’s box trying to run to first base.

I get it. Freak accident. Need something to blame. Blame the task you were doing because you aren’t very good at it and now you can’t do the tasks you enjoy doing and are good at it. If David Ortiz got injured playing 1B in an interleague game, would we start talking about not letting DH’s play in the field ever. Bad example, he shouldn’t be playing 1B if there is a DH in both leagues. Should we put a rule in play to not allow a position player to come in during the 17th inning to pitch because the last guy blew out his arm?

People are going to say I’m biased since I’m an National League fan. But let me lay out the facts:

No DH

DH

Pitchers swing a limp noodle. Most sacrifice bunt.

DH is usually the power hitter. Leads team in RBI and HR.

Pitchers get pulled in the 5th due to scoring opportunity and need a better hitter.

Pitcher goes until he reaches a jam or his pitch count.

Bullpen and bench players get lots of use for strategic changes. Usually no one left to play by 13th inning.

Always surprised by some new player pulled off the bench or the bullpen because they play once a month.

Double Switches!!!

Two light switches???

Pitchers have to deal with revenge for ‘Chin Music’.

Pitchers send out their position players to pay for their ‘Chin Music’.

NL teams lose out on good hitters that are horrible defenders.

AL sign players that are not athletic enough to perform tasks by most players.

NL teams lose out on good pitchers that are horrible hitters.

AL sign players that are not athletic enough to perform tasks by most players.

I get people tend to enjoy offense more than quality pitching and strategy. I get the fact that if it weren’t for the DH we wouldn’t be watching guys like A-Rod and Ortiz. Do other sports prolong athletes’ careers by letting them only perform a single task in the game? I never saw Michael Jordan come in to only shoot 3-pointers or free throws and then head back to the bench. I never saw Joe Montana come into games to throw a hook-and-ladder to Rice and then go back to the bench. Did Gretzky ever come onto the ice just to shoot a wrist shot and then go straight back to the bench?

Simply put, the DH ruins the game and only adds a bit of flare. The National League plays the game of baseball. They use strategy.

Scenario #1, your pitcher has only given up two runs in 6 innings but there are 2 men on with 2 outs your team is down 2-0 and the pitcher is up to bat. What do you do? Pull the pitcher and put in a hitting specialist and then have to pull that sub from the game to bring in the next pitcher? Let the pitcher attempt to hit and help his own cause?

Scenario #2, man on 2nd base. 1 out. Have the pitcher bunt and move the runner to 3rd? Let him swing away?

Scenario #3, 2 outs, men on the corners and your pitcher has thrown 110 pitches and his spot is up to bat first in the next inning. Burn a relief pitcher to maybe face a single batter and then have to substitute in a batter for him in the next inning? Double switch and move the RP to the previous batter who was your #5 batter? Leave the pitcher in and hope he gets through this last batter?

I could keep going. But the fact is that in any of those scenarios, an AL team wouldn’t have to think about what they would do. The pitcher never bats. The DH would swing away. They bring in a RP whenever they want and he can face as many hitters without thinking twice.

What am I not seeing? Why do people like the DH so much? I’m sure that people who like the DH also hate the shift (I’m not a fan of the shift, but until players start to beat shifts I would also stack the defense in my favor). And no Scherzer, I would much rather see you swing a wet newspaper than pay an athlete a ton of money who can only perform a single task.

If I’m wrong, tell me in the comments. If I’m right, tell me in the comments. Comment on this topic!!!

As usual commish, you are DEAD ON! The DH rule is ruining baseball. I mean, a grade schooler who knows little about baseball (except the players on his own team) could manage in a league with the DH rule. Let the pitching coach be concerned with the pitching changes, fill out your lineup card with your 8 best position players (snd the fat overweight aging veteran who has the highest slugging percentage) and go grab a burger, friss and shake and a nice comforable spot on the bench and be the semi-interested fan who enjoys watching his team bat! The DH is a joke and really takes away from the game!

I don’t mind having two separate rules for two different leagues. I guess what I was trying to get at was I would rather have both rules or no DH at all. I would truly hate to see a DH in both leagues. I think that would ruin baseball from an intellectual level. All DH may get more fans and more money but then it just becomes too simple of a game.

As you know, I’m a huge Cardinals Kool-Aid drinker, and I think the comment is absolutely ridiculous. I’m not a baseball “purist” by any means and I enjoy the NL format and the AL format for completely different reasons. I also wouldn’t be completely aghast if the powers-that-be eliminated the DH from the AL or (more likely) add the DH to the NL, but this is NOT the reason to ramp up that debate.